Sleep Paralysis

It's

It's about three in the morning, so says my internal clock. It's never wrong, I dunno why.

Why am I awake at three in the morning. It's too early. My eyes hurt. How long have they been open?

It's cold. It's cold and I

I hear

I hear a sort of static. Like in those old radio programmes, when nobody's speaking and there's no sound effects but you can still hear something.

I don't think I'm alone.

A dog. It's a dog, one of them's busted in that's probably what woke me. I'll just roll over and look.

Heh. Too tired to move. I'll give it a minute. Tell the dog to just get up here and go to sleep.

Why isn't the static going away?

My mouth is open but it isn't making any sound and it isn't closing why isn't it closing what's happening to me who's here

I look

That's not static. That's breathing, raspy and fast and not a dog.

Someone's here.

I look

I can't breathe I'm breathing too fast I need to move why aren't they speaking what do they want

I look at

The static is laughing and I can't see my eyes are open but it's just black fog

I can't move. Mouth won't shut. Eyes won't close. There's pressure, a hand on the bed just behind me it's grasping the covers and pulling.

Silence. No more pulling. But it's still there, I know it is it's crouched just beside the bed on the rug waiting for me

I look at the doll's house

Stoppit stoppit I don't want to think about it get out of my head get away get away

and the doll's house

If I can reach the light it'll go it'll all go but if I put my hand out it'll grab me

looks

Finger twitched need to move why is it laughing

at

I roll over and stretch blindly for the lamp cord can't reach why can't I find it it was there this evening when I went to bed god somebody please

me.

Click.

There's no one here. The door's shut. The static's stopped.

I don't sleep again tonight.